I have read every reply to this question, because 4-H is and has always been very important to me. I am so glad to read that is has been vital in so many of yours as well. I am a recently retired County Extension 4-H Agent. In our state 4-H is conducted in the 4th-12th grade (9-19 year olds). In some counties the 4-H cloverbuds program is offered for younger youth.

The 4-H program is conducted out of the land-grant university in every state. 4-H is supposed to be available also on every U.S. military base around the world.

As a 4-H Agent, my goal was for the youth to gain knowledge, develop life skills and become strong leaders and citizens. To help me accomplish this, a variety of projects areas were utilized such as outdoor skills, aerospace, animal science, nutrition, computers, forestry, public speaking, community service, etc. Using their interest I would try to provide activities, workshops, educational programs, trips, etc. for them to learn and develop those skills and gain leadership.

The best part of being a 4-H'er is developing friendships, working with your family, gaining confidence, being given leadership opportunities and having fun.


"Learn by doing" is the 4-H club slogan.
"Make the Best Better" is the 4-H motto.
The four H's stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health

4-H Pledge
I pledge my head to clear thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service and
my health to better living,
for my club,my community, my country and my world.

Now that I am retired . . . I am a 4-H volunteer! My daughter has 120 4-H members in her club and I helped her conduct several workshops last week.

Great job mamabear

I don't remember 4h being offered at my schools when I was growing up. However my kids are all involved. My oldest started in 4th grade in GA and then we moved to SC. We found the 4H BaaRamEweths Lamb club and were hooked. We have showed lambs since 2005 and my oldest is graduating hs this year. 4H led her into FFA in high school. My other 3 kids fell in line behind her. We have tried the Swine project but no one liked it. We have raised and shown 4 flocks of chickens, took a 1 year break but I have talked the 2 younger girls into doing it again next year. My kids have done presentation projects and found that they either liked or DISLIKED public speaking. My #3 dd , who is mildly mentally challenged, competed at the state level in presentation/ public speaking and received a red ribbon! Now that my oldest is graduating we see our sheep projects fading. However, my 2 younger girls are asking about showing dairy goats. There is no dairy goat club so what does Mom do? Why, I ask our local goat soap maker if she would be interested in co-sponsoring a new club with me. = ) My kids have also taken jelly making class and bee keeping. My son was in Livestock Judging for 1 year. My oldest dd went to national competition in Louisville,KY with the 4H Skill a thon team. All of my girls have been in GS and all (3) have dropped out. My son has lost interest in all things animals and ramped up in sports, band and boy scouts. My kids are 17, 14, 12 ,9 & 18 mo. I don't see us getting out of 4h anytime soon.

Oh. When I mentioned 4-H earlier, I forgot to tell you the best part. I was in a Jr. Leadership program and even though I never raised livestock, I went to a hog judging class as part of the program. About 30 years later, a man I had just met and I went to the County Fair on our first date. He wanted to see the animals and they were judging hogs. I told him which one was going to win and IT DID! He was so impressed that he said that is why he married me! So I have 4-H to thank for a wonderful husband. We've been married 28 years and I make a lot of his sports shirts. He loves them.

I was in 4-H and loved it. I already knew how to do the things our club focused on but the association with the three woman who were our leaders left a very profound mark on my life. A girl friend that I brought in to our club and I still talk about the wonderful things we learned from these women and all the fun things we did.

My mom was a leader, and when I was old enough to join, I did. It was mostly sewing.
Then, a woman started the first 'dog' club, and with our Sheltie, I won at the county level, and got to show at the stae fair.
I got so much from that program.
So then, I became a leader for a dog club because of my daughter, and she won at the state level. She already knew how to sew, and I credit those years in helping her to develop into the great young woman she is today.

I really enjoyed my sewing time in 4H, but I was not, and am still not, really into my sewing being judged

4-H got me started!

At the time I didn't want anything to do with it. Now I wish I had joined. I was so shy back then that now I think it would've helped me overcome alot of that. I see what the kids are doing with it now and I think it's a great organization.

I loved 4-H - grew up in rural northern WY and it was a big deal
there. I took sewing and leathercraft. Wonderful organization and truly learned to work with others and know that all the adults were there to help. I smiled at the comment several pages back about some other parent scolding us, yep, better not happen. LOL

4-H also taught me that not everyone plays by the rules when an unexpected visit to my best friend revealed her mother sewing her 4-H blouse with set-in sleeves. I was so upset until my wonderful Mom told me that I could out-sew even her mom. At the county fair my blouse won a purple ribbon and her blouse took red!! Great life lesson. Plus - 4-H had all the best looking boys! :-)

I was in 2 different 4-H programs. One was sewing and the other, horses. I learned so much with the horse group, it was a great way for young people to network with other like-minded kids. The adults who were the leaders were very knowledgeable and were truly caring adults. If 4-H is anything now, like it was then, I think it ROCKS!